Article type
Abstract
Background: Evidence synthesis teams have recently become a desired service to support rapid and robust evidence syntheses for public health decision-makers. However, little is known about the impact of the knowledge products these services produce on decision-making.
Objective: This study aims to evaluate the reach, utility, and impact of The National Collaborating Centre for Methods and Tools (NCCMT) Rapid Evidence Service (RES) on public health decisions.
Methods: The evaluation included 3 components. Reach was measured through analytics on the RES website. Utility and uptake were measured through interviews and a survey. Interviews were conducted with public health professionals who had requested/accessed reviews from the RES. Interview data were inductively coded using NVivo to identify themes. The survey included short-answer and multiple-choice questions and was completed by public health professionals who had requested a rapid review 1 month after review completion (n = 28).
Results: From April 2020 to March 2023, the RES produced 94 rapid reviews, and the RES website had 45,839 page views. Key informant interviews were conducted with 16 public health professionals (n = 16). Participants were extremely satisfied with the RES and found the reviews timely, demand driven, high quality, and informative for decision-makers. Rapid reviews were reported to be used by government organizations across the country (eg, Public Health Agency of Canada, the Province of Ontario, and of Alberta) and in guidelines issued by the World Health Organization. Survey respondents (n = 13) rated the usefulness of the rapid review report as an 8 out of 10 and their satisfaction with the report as a 9 out of 10. Thirty-nine per cent reported that the review had been referenced in documents supporting decision-making. Overall, the data illustrate that the RES had a large reach among decision-makers and that the rapid reviews were well received and utilized in decisions by public health decision-makers.
Conclusions: The provision of rapid reviews addressing decision-maker priorities shows promise as a timely and effective strategy for supporting evidence-informed public health decision-making.
Importance for patients: Populations benefit by receiving programs and services from public health that are based on decisions incorporating high-quality synthesized evidence.
Objective: This study aims to evaluate the reach, utility, and impact of The National Collaborating Centre for Methods and Tools (NCCMT) Rapid Evidence Service (RES) on public health decisions.
Methods: The evaluation included 3 components. Reach was measured through analytics on the RES website. Utility and uptake were measured through interviews and a survey. Interviews were conducted with public health professionals who had requested/accessed reviews from the RES. Interview data were inductively coded using NVivo to identify themes. The survey included short-answer and multiple-choice questions and was completed by public health professionals who had requested a rapid review 1 month after review completion (n = 28).
Results: From April 2020 to March 2023, the RES produced 94 rapid reviews, and the RES website had 45,839 page views. Key informant interviews were conducted with 16 public health professionals (n = 16). Participants were extremely satisfied with the RES and found the reviews timely, demand driven, high quality, and informative for decision-makers. Rapid reviews were reported to be used by government organizations across the country (eg, Public Health Agency of Canada, the Province of Ontario, and of Alberta) and in guidelines issued by the World Health Organization. Survey respondents (n = 13) rated the usefulness of the rapid review report as an 8 out of 10 and their satisfaction with the report as a 9 out of 10. Thirty-nine per cent reported that the review had been referenced in documents supporting decision-making. Overall, the data illustrate that the RES had a large reach among decision-makers and that the rapid reviews were well received and utilized in decisions by public health decision-makers.
Conclusions: The provision of rapid reviews addressing decision-maker priorities shows promise as a timely and effective strategy for supporting evidence-informed public health decision-making.
Importance for patients: Populations benefit by receiving programs and services from public health that are based on decisions incorporating high-quality synthesized evidence.